Flipkart rumoured to launch self-branded smartphones (Updated)

Update: A Flipkart spokesperson has told Medianama that it is not launching smartphones. “It’s not true, we are not launching smartphones,” the spokesperson said.

Earlier: With any and every one entering the smartphone arena in the Indian market, Flipkart too seems to have decided to try its luck. The e-retailer is reportedly planning to launch self-branded smartphones, which it will be retailing via its website.

Buoyed by the success of Moto G, the retailer has become convinced that online only model could work in the country, reports BGR India. It has been in talks with key chip vendors like Qualcomm, Intel and MediaTek for the last two years but the recent experience with Moto G sales have given the company necessary push to go ahead with its plans.

Flipkart isn’t the first e-retailer to plan something like this, even Infibeam had launched a self-branded e-reader as well as an Android tablet (Windows too) in the country. While we are not sure of the fate of these devices but given the fact that not many people are aware of them, they probably failed. We were however able to spot the Infibeam Phi tablet still retailing on the retailer website.

Back to Flipkart, as the retailer doesn’t have any experience or infrastructure in place for smartphone business, it will most probably be partnering with an OEM in China or Taiwan, which will be building smartphones for Flipkart. So essentially, Flipkart-branded smartphones are going to be similar to smartphones from other Indian smartphones vendors like Micromax, Karbonn and Lava, which too import most of their products from China.